Ronaldo's 146-Goal Record Becomes Ultimate Target for Kane, Mbappe and Haaland

The retirement of Cristiano Ronaldo from international football has brought an end to the Messi-Ronaldo era in men's national team soccer, leaving his extraordinary record of 146 international goals as a major target for Europe's leading strikers.

Ronaldo scored 146 goals in 234 appearances over 23 years for Portugal. Although several active players are chasing the milestone, the record is expected to remain intact until at least the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Portugal will co-host.

England captain Harry Kane currently has 91 international goals, followed by France's Kylian Mbappe with 67 and Norway's Erling Haaland with 65. Kane could also establish an England appearance record of 126 matches when his team hosts Croatia on Thursday, before travelling to face Spain on Sunday.

Among other active international scorers, Belgium's Romelu Lukaku has 94 goals, while Poland's Robert Lewandowski has 92. Argentina's Lionel Messi ended his international career with 126 goals, placing him second behind Ronaldo. Iran's Ali Daei finished with 108 goals.

The UEFA Nations League fixtures will see France face Italy in Milan on Thursday before hosting Turkey. Norway will play Wales and Denmark, while Germany, coached by Jurgen Klopp, will look to improve after winning only one of its first four matches.

Meanwhile, Spain enters the week with a 42-match unbeaten streak. The European champions will face the Czech Republic without Lamine Yamal before taking on England on Sunday. Spain's last defeat in regular or extra time came against Colombia in March 2024.

The Nations League matches will also determine quarter-final qualification, promotion and relegation across different tiers. The top two teams from each of the four top-tier groups will advance to the quarter-finals in March, with the final four-team tournament scheduled for June.

Elsewhere, Switzerland could secure promotion with a draw against Slovenia, Northern Ireland leads its group without conceding in four matches, and Sweden can earn promotion by defeating Bosnia-Herzegovina. Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres has scored in all four matches so far.

The results will also influence the seeding of 54 national teams for the December 6 draw for the Euro 2028 qualifying groups.